Why Pharmacy??!!

[dr1989]

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im a cc student getting ready to transfer to a univ to get my BA in bio.

ive been entertaining the thought about going to med school, but the more i thought about it, the more i realized that it would be too much for me. (really long story)

but im really interested in the health field, i love bio, and i like helpin people.
so ive been thinking about optometry, RN, or pharmacy.

but my question is: why pharmacy??

-i told my friends about the possibility of pharmacy and they all told me id make great money, but it would get boring real quick
-ppl say its not challenging

i always thought of myself as someone who would be a doc or a nurse one day helpin sick people. but as someone in the pharmacy?? i dunno. logically it would seem to me that this is not the career for me, but for some reason i always come back to it. its always in the back of my head (and No i wouldnt be in it for the money)

my greatest fear is if i become a pharmacist-i wont be passionate about it. and i want that feeling when i work. (not to add that amgen is like 10 min from my house and my univ has great hoookups for the grads with amgen-so for a student, that would be great? right?

so, all in all:
why are you becoming a pharmacist??
is it something you always knew you wanted?
do you think you will get bored of it?
why is it soo interesting in your opinion??

i remember in senior year of high school i shadowed this med guy who went from office to office selling his companies cardiac medicines to the docs (i though it was kinda boring-but the pay was good he said, and he seemed genuinly interested-even though i thought he was pretty much a salesman-is that similiar to pharmacy??)

please give me your opinion~~

thanks!

dr1989 🙂

 

[xshooshix]

im a cc student getting ready to transfer to a univ to get my BA in bio.

ive been entertaining the thought about going to med school, but the more i thought about it, the more i realized that it would be too much for me. (really long story)

but im really interested in the health field, i love bio, and i like helpin people.
so ive been thinking about optometry, RN, or pharmacy.

but my question is: why pharmacy??

-i told my friends about the possibility of pharmacy and they all told me id make great money, but it would get boring real quick
-ppl say its not challenging

i always thought of myself as someone who would be a doc or a nurse one day helpin sick people. but as someone in the pharmacy?? i dunno. logically it would seem to me that this is not the career for me, but for some reason i always come back to it. its always in the back of my head (and No i wouldnt be in it for the money)

my greatest fear is if i become a pharmacist-i wont be passionate about it. and i want that feeling when i work. (not to add that amgen is like 10 min from my house and my univ has great hoookups for the grads with amgen-so for a student, that would be great? right?

so, all in all:
why are you becoming a pharmacist??
is it something you always knew you wanted?
do you think you will get bored of it?
why is it soo interesting in your opinion??

i remember in senior year of high school i shadowed this med guy who went from office to office selling his companies cardiac medicines to the docs (i though it was kinda boring-but the pay was good he said, and he seemed genuinly interested-even though i thought he was pretty much a salesman-is that similiar to pharmacy??)

please give me your opinion~~

thanks!

dr1989 🙂

My father is an internist and seeing his line of work scared me away from pursing the field. He gets goes home two days a week because he's the director of house physicians (so he's on call all the time), and on top of that, he juggles his own practice. If I followed his path, (he's been pushing me since I was a child), he probably would have made me take over his entire practice and place in the hospital. It's not the lifestyle I want, and because of that, my siblings and I are not that close with my father. When I have kids, I did not want to end up like him.

As a teenager, I didn't want to pursue anything in the health field, I wanted to go into the arts. Then I realized that there was no way I was going to support myself, and I didn't want to struggle later on. This turned out for the best because the economy is so bad right now. 😉 I took some science classes (as general education courses) at the art school I was in, and surprisingly excelled in them rather than my other classes. The rest is history.

 

[dr1989]

My father is an internist and seeing his line of work scared me away from pursing the field. He gets goes home two days a week because he's the director of house physicians (so he's on call all the time), and on top of that, he juggles his own practice. If I followed his path, (he's been pushing me since I was a child), he probably would have made me take over his entire practice and place in the hospital. It's not the lifestyle I want, and because of that, my siblings and I are not that close with my father. When I have kids, I did not want to end up like him.

As a teenager, I didn't want to pursue anything in the health field, I wanted to go into the arts. Then I realized that there was no way I was going to support myself, and I didn't want to struggle later on. This turned out for the best because the economy is so bad right now. 😉 I took some science classes (as general education courses) at the art school I was in, and surprisingly excelled in them rather than my other classes. The rest is history.

wow. thats very similar to my situation. my parents came here from afghanistan in the 80s and then got married and had me. they spent their entire lives devoting themselves to me and my 3 siblings (my dad worked in a gas station and my mom was a stay at home mom-but she was ill frequently so alot of my time was spent at doctors)

it was my parents dream that i become a doctor, but when i told em recently that i didnt think i had it in me, because i wanted to be able to be there for my family and not on call or late hours-they were very supportive. i come from a simple middle class family-so money is an incentive but i know my values and that being passionate about your job is the most important of all.

so what made you realized that you wanted to be in pharmacy? is there more to it than the insane amount of paperwork and making medicine? do you get to really interact with people? (im a very social person-which is why dentistry would kill me🙄)

whats interesting about pharmacy? (think of it like a persuasive essay-only dont write an essay)

 

[unichick512]

I was attending a cc in San Diego and wanted to pursue nursing. Decided to get a job at a nursing home as a Medication Care Technician...basically gave out meds to my residents who couldn't take them on their own. After 5 months of working, 6 of my 150 residents passed away. Apparently, I couldn't deal with death. The nurses told me to care for my patients physically, but not emotionally. This made me mad...how do you pretend to care but not really. Then the staff nurse said that she wanted her son to pursue pharmacy and that I should consider it. So I did and here I am finishing my first year of pharmacy school.

Good things about pharmacy are...

1. You have time to spend with your family while working
2. You'll be able to support your family
3. You meet a lot of regulars and bond with them
4. Most of the time the coworkers are good...as in any profession
5. You learn a lot about self care, so you can educate others who come to you for help
6. You are respected
7. The work load isn't bad.

If I get bored, I'm going to go to school for interior design (somewhat of a passion) during the nights/weekends. Then work that on the side, like a hobby.

 

[SHC1984]

I was attending a cc in San Diego and wanted to pursue nursing. Decided to get a job at a nursing home as a Medication Care Technician...basically gave out meds to my residents who couldn't take them on their own. After 5 months of working, 6 of my 150 residents passed away. Apparently, I couldn't deal with death. The nurses told me to care for my patients physically, but not emotionally. This made me mad...how do you pretend to care but not really. Then the staff nurse said that she wanted her son to pursue pharmacy and that I should consider it. So I did and here I am finishing my first year of pharmacy school.

Good things about pharmacy are...

1. You have time to spend with your family while working
2. You'll be able to support your family
3. You meet a lot of regulars and bond with them
4. Most of the time the coworkers are good...as in any profession
5. You learn a lot about self care, so you can educate others who come to you for help
6. You are respected
7. The work load isn't bad.

If I get bored, I'm going to go to school for interior design (somewhat of a passion) during the nights/weekends. Then work that on the side, like a hobby.

I agree about the hobby! I am hoping to evenutally be able to work 1 to 2 days a week and have a hobby on the side. Its always great to do something you really want...you should never let your job be your life.

 

[dr1989]

can you give me like a general example of how the daily routine of a physician would be??

 

[xshooshix]

can you give me like a general example of how the daily routine of a physician would be??

I'll give you the example of my dad and his sister.

My Dad begins his day by waking up at 5 AM, makes the trek out to LA and arrives at the hospital to do rounds at 6. At 10, he stops by his office (when I see him) and sees about 4-5 patients, does some paperwork in between, and sees the occasional pharmaceutical rep. He gets his freebies, eats lunch (free food given by the rep), and leaves at 1 PM, and goes to a different hospital/nursing home and sees patients. He'll be home between 5-7.

My aunt wakes up around the same time, makes sure her family is situated, and arrives to work by 7 AM. She does a couple of meetings (she teaches residents on the side), sees her patients, helps the PA and nurses, or makes some suggestions or comments when the resident shows her their patient file. She'll have lunch at the school, then goes back to do more paper work (60% of the time she's behind a desk). She goes home between 4-5 PM. She'll be on call at least once a week, and once in awhile she does a lecture on pediatrics to the med school students or residents.

I can't help but laugh in secret at all the pre-med students at my school because they have no idea how much hard work physicians put forth. I know pharmacy is just the same, but when you look beyond the work, I wouldn't be caught dead being on-call.

 

[dr1989]

so true! i go to school tues n thurs at 6 in the morning and when i come back at 7pm i just go straight to bed and dont wake up till the next day! imagine if i was oncall during residency!! (one of the big reasons why i wont be a doc anytime soon)

so what would a pharmacist??

 

[pinkpillowzz]

I was in the same situation as you. My folks came from India in the 1980s, had me, and always kept telling me I'm gonna be a doctor when I grow up. I always believed that until I got to high school, and I came to the realization there's more options that being a doctor

You don't have to be extremely passionate about being a doctor right now. You will learn to be passionate about it when you are finally in medical school working your butt off. I believe that's how it is with any decision you make.

I wasn't so passionate about pharmacy before I applied to pharmacy schools. I heard my biology teacher say back in 2001 "Hey, who wants to work 3 days a weak and make $90,000? So be a pharmacist!" .. That's the only thing I remember about high school, and thats the only reason I applied to pharmacy schools. I didn't even know what pharmacists really did. Did they create drugs? Did they conduct research? Did they only work at CVS?

I learned to love pharmacy only after I got into the program. No matter where you go, or what new experience you might go through, it's going to be hard in the beginning, and a lot of times you might not like it. I didn't like high school the first 2 years and I wanted to drop out. Can you believe that? I didnt' like my 0-6 pharmacy school the first year and a half and wanted to drop out. But here I am, about to graduate in a year and a half, and I love this profession more than I can ever tell you.

Of course I'll be a little bit biased now, only because pharmacy is what I'm doing. It's a GREAT profession. You have so many different options. Work in a hospital, work in academia, work with government, work with retail, go on get another degree like a J.D. and become a medical malpractice lawyer or work with the FDA or work with pharmacy legislation. Or get an MBA and go into the business side. Work with drug info, work with a company. The options are out there. The possibities are endless.

Whatever you want to do, be a MD, be an optometrist, be an RN, be a pharmacist, it's going to be a lot of work no matter what. But you'll learn to love it no matter which one you choose. Money should not be the only thing you look for when choosing a career. Being happy is better. God forbid I was a doctor who was completely miserable everyday waking up at 5 AM and only coming home at 7 PM. I can't wake up at all, man, and I would hate that kind of LIFESTYLE. I love my days off, and I love to put in all my 40 hours into the least days possible. I also love drugs. I love to helping patients. I love educating them. That's why I picked pharmacy.

There's going to be those people who don't mind waking up 5 AM everyday. They do it because they want to.

What ever decision you make, just stick with it. Don't let anyone bring you down about it. After all, are you trying to make other people happy? Make yourself happy. There's no one you have to impress (other than girls, of course, but even then c'mon) than yourself.

By the way. I'm not sure where I want to work after I graduate from my PharmD program. Right now, I'm an "intern" for CVS. I can tell you how the CVS pharmacit's in NJ work. Some work 3 days a week, 14 hour shifts. They get anywhere from $52 an hour to $56 an hour, depending which location your at. That's not bad, is it? 3 days of work, 4 days off. Your basically living a permanent summer vacation for the rest of your life. Some places do 7 on and 7 off. You work 7 days, 10 hours each day, but get paid as if it were 80 hours a week. Then the whole next week you're off. It's great if you're working during the day, but I would think its hard if its night shift. I hate messin with my sleep-wake cycles.

 

[horo1988]

Although waking at 5AM is a little early, but being a doctor is something really unique because you can actually truly save someone's life by your decisions.

You love drugs = 😀
You love helping patients = 🙂 (are you really helping your patients as a pharmacist? what if the doctor rejects your drug recommendation?)
You love educating people = 🙂 (u could be in any profession to teach somebody)

I agree that flexible working hours is the only attractive thing about pharmacy ^_^

In the end, dont be discouraged by the long run of med school. It may be a long run for pharm school also if you are not really interested in it

I was in the same situation as you. My folks came from India in the 1980s, had me, and always kept telling me I'm gonna be a doctor when I grow up. I always believed that until I got to high school, and I came to the realization there's more options that being a doctor

You don't have to be extremely passionate about being a doctor right now. You will learn to be passionate about it when you are finally in medical school working your butt off. I believe that's how it is with any decision you make.

I wasn't so passionate about pharmacy before I applied to pharmacy schools. I heard my biology teacher say back in 2001 "Hey, who wants to work 3 days a weak and make $90,000? So be a pharmacist!" .. That's the only thing I remember about high school, and thats the only reason I applied to pharmacy schools. I didn't even know what pharmacists really did. Did they create drugs? Did they conduct research? Did they only work at CVS?

I learned to love pharmacy only after I got into the program. No matter where you go, or what new experience you might go through, it's going to be hard in the beginning, and a lot of times you might not like it. I didn't like high school the first 2 years and I wanted to drop out. Can you believe that? I didnt' like my 0-6 pharmacy school the first year and a half and wanted to drop out. But here I am, about to graduate in a year and a half, and I love this profession more than I can ever tell you.

Of course I'll be a little bit biased now, only because pharmacy is what I'm doing. It's a GREAT profession. You have so many different options. Work in a hospital, work in academia, work with government, work with retail, go on get another degree like a J.D. and become a medical malpractice lawyer or work with the FDA or work with pharmacy legislation. Or get an MBA and go into the business side. Work with drug info, work with a company. The options are out there. The possibities are endless.

Whatever you want to do, be a MD, be an optometrist, be an RN, be a pharmacist, it's going to be a lot of work no matter what. But you'll learn to love it no matter which one you choose. Money should not be the only thing you look for when choosing a career. Being happy is better. God forbid I was a doctor who was completely miserable everyday waking up at 5 AM and only coming home at 7 PM. I can't wake up at all, man, and I would hate that kind of LIFESTYLE. I love my days off, and I love to put in all my 40 hours into the least days possible. I also love drugs. I love to helping patients. I love educating them. That's why I picked pharmacy.

There's going to be those people who don't mind waking up 5 AM everyday. They do it because they want to.

What ever decision you make, just stick with it. Don't let anyone bring you down about it. After all, are you trying to make other people happy? Make yourself happy. There's no one you have to impress (other than girls, of course, but even then c'mon) than yourself.

By the way. I'm not sure where I want to work after I graduate from my PharmD program. Right now, I'm an "intern" for CVS. I can tell you how the CVS pharmacit's in NJ work. Some work 3 days a week, 14 hour shifts. They get anywhere from $52 an hour to $56 an hour, depending which location your at. That's not bad, is it? 3 days of work, 4 days off. Your basically living a permanent summer vacation for the rest of your life. Some places do 7 on and 7 off. You work 7 days, 10 hours each day, but get paid as if it were 80 hours a week. Then the whole next week you're off. It's great if you're working during the day, but I would think its hard if its night shift. I hate messin with my sleep-wake cycles.

 

[dr1989]

Although waking at 5AM is a little early, but being a doctor is something really unique because you can actually truly save someone's life by your decisions.

You love drugs = 😀
You love helping patients = 🙂 (are you really helping your patients as a pharmacist? what if the doctor rejects your drug recommendation?)
You love educating people = 🙂 (u could be in any profession to teach somebody)

I agree that flexible working hours is the only attractive thing about pharmacy ^_^

In the end, dont be discouraged by the long run of med school. It may be a long run for pharm school also if you are not really interested in it

wow for someone who is already decided to do pharmacy you sure do have some reservations about it😀

im still working on my bs in bio-so i have some time if i want to switch out-but im likin the sound of pharmacy more and more😉

 

[Storm90]

I've worked as a technician since 2000 and I can tell you my initial career was medicine, but after my 1st year of undergrad, I said forget that. I thought working as a pharmacy technician would help me in medicine (and it would), but I loved what I did in pharmacy, and I felt it was a better fit. I work in a hospital right now, and the other day I was talking to one of the 1st year residents who had been on call since 4am the day before and was horribly sick. I like sleep too much to go through that, and I know for a fact if I've been up for >24 hours, I do not function properly. Try that and balancing people's lives in your hands. Not for me. Also, clinical pharmacy to me is one of the neatest things out there. One of the clinical pharmacists I work with is taking me out on the wards to go through pt charts and critically analyze their drug therapies with me (Freakin awesome! And yes, I'm a keener/geek). I just love learning all I can about pharmacy, and I hope it never stops!

 

[IrishRxMan]

If you want to be challenged and still be helping people, I suggest doing as good as you can when you get into pharmacy school. What you did prior doesn't matter. Be in the top 20% and hopefully be accepted into Rho Chi (honors pharmacy fraternity). Join ASHP (American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists) http://www.ashp.org/ and ACCP (American College of Clinical Pharmacy) http://www.accp.com/ . Figure out what area you really have a passion for, do a 1st year general residency (PGY1) and a 2nd year specialty residency (PGY2) in whatever field you are interested in. Some have board certification tests you can get to help you even more http://www.bpsweb.org/.

Clinical pharmacists are part of the medical team that does rounds and manages patients in the hospital. One of the cardiology pharmacist professors at my school has cardiologists that come to him with problems to get answers. They take whatever he says and don't question his recommendations. Pharmacists are just as integral a part of the medical team as the attending physician is. You are the drug expert and know more about medications and how they work in the body than anyone else on that team.

 

[luwical]

If you want to be challenged and still be helping people, I suggest doing as good as you can when you get into pharmacy school. What you did prior doesn't matter. Be in the top 20% and hopefully be accepted into Rho Chi (honors pharmacy fraternity). Join ASHP (American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists) http://www.ashp.org/ and ACCP (American College of Clinical Pharmacy) http://www.accp.com/ . Figure out what area you really have a passion for, do a 1st year general residency (PGY1) and a 2nd year specialty residency (PGY2) in whatever field you are interested in. Some have board certification tests you can get to help you even more http://www.bpsweb.org/.

Clinical pharmacists are part of the medical team that does rounds and manages patients in the hospital. One of the cardiology pharmacist professors at my school has cardiologists that come to him with problems to get answers. They take whatever he says and don't question his recommendations. Pharmacists are just as integral a part of the medical team as the attending physician is. You are the drug expert and know more about medications and how they work in the body than anyone else on that team.

Cardiovascular Pharmacotheraphy is a great field. I see myself in the future coming up with differential equations that model a certain drug absorption rate and elimination rate, which could be used for prognosis.

 

[Monalyce]

Clinical pharmacists are part of the medical team that does rounds and manages patients in the hospital. One of the cardiology pharmacist professors at my school has cardiologists that come to him with problems to get answers. They take whatever he says and don't question his recommendations. Pharmacists are just as integral a part of the medical team as the attending physician is. You are the drug expert and know more about medications and how they work in the body than anyone else on that team.

My parents still don't understand why I want to go to pharmacy school instead of medical school...
For anyone who thinks that pharmacy has flexible hours, good pay, and not much work, that might be true in a retail setting. Clinical positions are both interesting, demanding and rewarding. I spent the last 4-5 years trying to find a pharmacy "job" that would be stimulating enough for me, and clinical is it!
I highly encourage anyone with interest to shadow a clinical pharmacist. These PharmD's work in ERs, NICUs, almost everywhere you can think of. And often they ARE on call! However, if you don't want to be a medical doctor like me, but want the MD "lifestyle", remember that clinical positions are growing! Just be ready for 1-2 yrs residency after pharmacy school, crap hours and less pay than your friends in retail, at least at first. My exposure to clinical pharmacists at a pediatric oncology institution showed me that there's a lot more to life than money..and it's easy enough to get a less demanding job with better hours after you're already highly qualified in a specialized field.